Dark and stormy: The brunette beauty is typically typecast as the girl-next-door

And while she may have grown up in the company of music's biggest superstars - count Michael Jackson among them - as the
daughter of legendary music producer Jones and television star Peggy
Lipton, the actress admits even she still gets star-struck.

'John Travolta came to the house,'
she recalls. 'And because Grease was the only thing we ever watched, it
was game over. That's all we cared about.

'We freaked out, ignored him, ran in the other direction and turned red.'

Rashida got into hot water
just last, however, after she made what she called a 'thoughtless
comment' about the actor, encouraging him to 'come out' as a gay man.

The 58-year-old, who is married and
has a family with actress Kelly Preston, has been at the centre of a sex
scandal after a series of masseurs alleged he sexually assaulted them.

Charmed: Rashida, the daughter of music producer Quincy Jones, said despite growing up around celebrities she still gets star-struck

There were also rumours - which he vehemently denied - that he allegedly had a six-year affair with his former pilot.

Rashida later apologised for the remark.

And while she still has fond memories
of Travolta, the actress admits there is one famous name she would love
to meet - if only she could.

Speaking about her dream dinner
guest, she told the magazine: 'Albert Einstein was always on that
"dinner list" for me - just because of the facial hair.

'I just started working with the International Rescue Committee, which Einstein founded with his friends.

'He had such a complicated
relationship with something he was so good at, and had a huge moral
dilemma. I’d just love to have known what it was like to be him and to
have to make those decisions,' she said.

The actress also opened up about her political activism, and getting involved in the lead up to the November presidential elections.

'I absolutely am. Anything I can do,' she said, adding: 'I feel like there is this weird thing where celebrity involvement in political campaigns kind of goes together like peanut butter and chocolate. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. I wouldn’t overexpose myself in the name of the President, I just want to do what I can to help.'